News: Corruption at All Levels of the Drug War [#132]

This Week in Drugs

This week, Sam and Sarah discuss multiple stories of corruption and bad behavior in America’s war on drugs. Brenda Fitzgerald, Trump’s director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, resigned this week following reports that she invested in tobacco companies while leading the federal government’s anti-smoking efforts. South Dakota legislators may have been the first in the country to actually vote in favor of drug testing the legislature, despite such bills typically being proposed as satire that mocked efforts to drug test recipients of government benefits. And two stories of police corruption, from Baltimore and Chicago, show that the enforcers of the drug war are often just as greedy as the criminal operations they are fighting against. But they also discuss a few good things, from a new rehabilitation facility that uses cannabis in treatment, to some hope for SIFs and the Philippines.

News Updates:

• CDC director’s investment in tobacco, drug companies baffles ethics experts
• Controversial Portland program uses marijuana and kratom to treat opioid addiction
• Senate panel votes to drug test Legislature, splitting with peers
• Their job was to take guns off Baltimore streets. They admitted stealing drugs and cash instead.

Headlines:

• James Walsh, a deputy assistant state secretary in the international narcotics and law enforcement bureau, told officials this week that the US is “cautiously optimistic” about the revamped drug war in the Philippines. He stated the drop in EJKs seems to be evidence that “we are seeing some of our human rights training working.”
• CBS Chicago reports that seven Chicago police officers are under federal investigation for stealing money and drugs from drug dealers, after the FBI conducted multiple sting operations over the past year.
• On Thursday, more than 2,000 health organizations called on the Global Fund to Fight AIDS to end a newly formed partnership with Heineken, due to controversial marketing tactics by world’s second largest brewer.
• Scientific American, a major popular science magazine, published an editorial in support of safe injection facilities, saying they save lives and should be part of America’s response to the opioid overdose epidemic.

Forecast:

• February 5 in Nashville, Tennessee: Why Drug-Free School Zone Reform is Right for Tennessee
• March 2-4 in Baltimore, Maryland: SSDP2018, the annual conference for Students for Sensible Drug Policy! The weekend of March 2nd, hundreds of activists from across the globe will gather in Baltimore, Maryland, to learn and strategize for drug policy reform. There will be great panels and other events, and the entire TWiD team will be there, so we’d love to see you there! If you haven’t registered yet, there is still time – just head over to conference.ssdp.org to learn more and get your tickets.

Episode Sponsor:

• “Anslinger: The untold cannabis conspiracy,” a new podcast from Think Hempy Thoughts

Patreon Supporters:

Thank you to all who support us on Patreon, including:

• Tom Angell’s Marijuana Moment
• Ogden Studios
• Matt Garland
• Get your name or business listed here for as little as $10/month!

Music Credits:

Intro: Dance for Sport by the2ba

Like what we do? Help pay our bills.

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn

The post News: Corruption at All Levels of the Drug War [#132] appeared first on This Week in Drugs.